Over 2,000 prom dresses in stock. That is the number Best Bride Prom & Tux puts on its own prom page, and it is the first thing to know before you make the drive. The second is that a good share of those dresses are exclusives, styles the store says are produced in limited quantities, carried by fewer stores nationwide and never sold online.
Our prom dresses are not sold online, which helps protect your look and gives you access to styles you are less likely to see everywhere else.
That reasoning comes straight from the prom page, and for anyone who has already scrolled past the same five gowns on everyone's phone, it is the whole pitch. You come in, you try things on, and you leave with something your feed has not seen a hundred times.
Prom racks beside a Gold Medallion Merle Norman studio
Best Bride is also home to Merle Norman of Asheville, a Gold Medallion Merle Norman Studio that has been locally owned and operated since 1984. Bridal, prom, quinceañera and men's formalwear now share that roof in River Ridge Market Place, the shopping center reached from the US 74A exit off I-40. The store's newer space has big windows facing the mountains, which is not a bad backdrop for a three-way mirror.
That pairing pays off for prom more than it sounds. The same team that pulls dresses can talk through makeup for photos, and the store offers special event makeup artist services for proms. You can settle the gown, the face and the earrings in one afternoon instead of three errands across Buncombe County.
The store has been recognized among the Top 10 Prom stores in the United States and is part of that independently owned retailer group. In practice, that shows up in the collections. The prom racks feature Johnathan Kayne, Ashley Lauren, Jessica Angel, Alyce Paris, Kate Parker and Chandalier, plus the Top 10 Prom exclusive catalog.
Pageant
Gowns from designers the store calls top lines in the pageant industry
Quinceañera
Appointment-only sessions with a bilingual specialist, with layaway options
Merle Norman
Skin care and color from the Gold Medallion studio
Planning a Best Bride trip from across the mountains
The store lists a service area of about 90 miles, which in this corner of the state takes in Western North Carolina, East Tennessee and the Upstate of South Carolina. Closer to home, the big Buncombe County campuses are the core of the prom business: A.C. Reynolds and T.C. Roberson, Asheville High in the city, and Enka and Clyde A. Erwin to the west. Hendersonville, Arden and Fletcher families come up I-26, and the store names all three among the towns it serves.
Appointments are recommended rather than required. The FAQ says walk-ins are welcome when space allows, and during prom season a booked slot is the better bet, especially on Saturdays. The store's advice on timing is to start two to three months ahead of the dance, since inventory changes all season and the best selection comes early. That lines up with how prom actually works in the mountains, where January and February weekends can disappear to weather.
A few house policies stand out. The Prom Promise is a price guarantee, not a slogan.
Prom Promise
Find a lower total price on a dress you bought here from an authorized retailer within 7 days of purchase, and the store matches it and adds a gift certificate for the difference plus 20 percent. Ask at the counter for the details.
Prom Package
The prom tips page mentions special savings when shoes, jewelry and the dress are bought together.
Alterations
Referred to a short list of local sewing artisans the shop has vetted, rather than hemmed on site.
On the tux side, a couple splitting the errand can have the date measured on the afternoon the dress is chosen, so the vest color is matched in person instead of from a photo.
Men's formalwear
Tuxedos and suits to rent or buy
Fittings
In store, with professional measurements
Sizing fee
$25 per person trying on, applied toward the rental or purchase
Occasions
Prom, weddings and chambelanes
Bridal is part of the business too, with Allure and Morilee gowns and its own appointment book. For prom shoppers, though, the draw is the depth of the racks and the fact that the date's tux, the makeup and the accessories are all handled in the same room.
If you are mapping out a dress search across western North Carolina, this is one of the stops where the selection alone can justify the drive.
Plus sizes, tuxes and the Prom Promise
What is the Prom Promise?
A price guarantee. Find a lower total price on your dress from an authorized retailer within 7 days of purchase, and the store matches it and adds a gift certificate for the difference plus 20 percent.
Does Best Bride carry plus size prom dresses?
Yes. The store says many of its prom styles are available in plus sizes up to a 30, and its FAQ lists plus size prom dresses as part of the regular inventory.
Can I rent a prom tux at the same store?
Yes. Tuxedos and suits are available to rent or buy, with in-store fittings. A $25 sizing fee per person applies toward the rental or purchase.